Professor James Cooper Examines What's at Stake for the U.S. in a World Without NAFTA

In today's Sacramento Bee, California Western Professor James Cooper articulates the devastating possible effects of a President Trump-proposed American abandonment of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Cooper's op-ed emphasizes alienation of Mexico by the U.S., and would-be widespread disruption of the two nations' highly integrated economies and combined efforts in the war on drugs.

As the third round of NAFTA renegotiations is set to take place on September 23, Cooper believes that Mexico must prepare for a world without the trailblazing trade pact.

"An end to NAFTA will injure Mexico, killing jobs and making the illicit drug industry more attractive for those who are out of work," says Cooper. "U.S. aid under the Mérida Initiative, some of which may be diverted to help pay for the wall along the border, remains critical for Mexico to win its war on drugs."